Handle-bar.



No. 630,069. Patented Aug. I, I899.

J. PAflUET.

HANDLE BAR.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1897.)

(No Model.)

70567972 15: h r u lflovgeys,

Wiixyzsses NiED STATES PATENT 0FFICE.

JOSEPH PAQUET, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEWV YORK.

HANDLE-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,069, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed November 23, 1897- Serial No. 659,581. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOSEPH PAQUET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the countyof Dutchess and State of New York, have in vented a new and useful Handle-Bar, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to handle-bars for bicycles, velocipedes, and like machines and aims to provide simple and effective means for admitting of the handle-bar being shifted to suit the comfort and convenience of the rider.

In accordance with this invention the handle-bar is composed of similar parts or end sections each having independent adjustment and provided with ratchet-teeth to cooperate with like teeth at the ends of the head of a T-stem to hold the parts in an adjusted position. A spring of the contractile type is located within the head of the stem and has connection at its ends with the handle-bar sections and tends to draw them together, and swivels at the ends of the spring admit ofthe said sections turning independently without aifecting the tension of the spring.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is afront view of a handle-bar constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the head portion of the T-stem and the inner ends of the handlebar sections, showing the parts on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the T-stem. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a swivel connection.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The handlebar stem is of T form and its head 1 is tubular and provided at its ends with a series of ratchet-teeth 2. The body portion 3 of the T-stem is adapted to be fitted to the steering-post of the bicycle or like machine in any of the usual ways.

The handle-bar is composed of similar parts or sections 4, having ratchet-teeth 5 at their inner ends to match with the ratchet-teeth 2, with which they interlock, so as to hold the sections at any adjusted position. The ratchet-teeth have one edge abrupt and the other edge inclining, whereby the handle-bar sections can be elevated at their free ends by lifting thereon, as the ratchet-teeth will ride upon one another and the abrupt edges interlock to prevent the downward movement of the free ends of the handle-barseetions when pressing thereon. The head 1 and parts 4 are held in alinement by portions 6 overlapping the joints formed between them, and, as shown, these portions 6 are extremities of a tube secured within the tube 1 and having its end portions projecting beyond the toothed extremities 2 to receive the inner ends of the handle-bar sections, whereby a stiff and firm joint is had between them and the head 1.

A contractile spring 7 is located Within the head 1 and has connection with the handlebar sections 4t and normally tends to draw them inward, whereby the ratchet-teeth 2 and 5 are held in engagement. In order to admit of the independent adjustment of each part 4:, a swivel-joint is interposed between the spring 7 and a handle-bar section, and, as shown, this swivel-joint consists of a block 8, longitudinally bored, and a hook 9, headed at its inner end and mounted to turn in the bore of the block. The hook 9 engages with an eye at the end of the spring 7, and the block 8 is secured to a handlebar section by a pin 10, passing transversely through open ings in the handle-bar section and the block. It is preferred to provide a swivel-joint for each end of the spring and for each handlebar section, thereby obviating any torsional strain of the spring 7 when adjusting the parts of the handle-bar.

The handle-bar grips can be lifted by pullint, upward thereon, because of: the peculiar formation ofthe ratchet teethg butdow'nward pressure thereon is sustained by the interlocking of the teeth, and when itis required to lower the grips it is necessary to draw the handle-bar section outward until the teeth 2 and 5 clear each other, when the desired adjustment can be eifected. One section or both can be adjusted at different or at the same time, and the ratchet-teeth and the swivel-joints provide for a continuous rotation of the handle-bar sections without twisting the coiled spring. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In a device of the class described, the combination with a head provided with ratchetteeth beveled at one side and shouldered at the other, the rotatable grip-sections provided with corresponding ratchet-teeth interlocking with those of the head, said teeth being adapted to permit the grip-sections to rotate freely in one direction and locking them against movement in the opposite direction, and a coiled spring for holding the grip-sections in engagement with the head, said coiled spring having a swivel connection with the said gripsections, whereby the latter may be continuously rotated without twisting it, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH PAQUET.

\Vitnesses:

FRED E. AOKERMAN, G. F. MORRISSON. 

